The new rules ban plants within one foot of homes and do not allow landowners to attach wooden fences to their homes.
California’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved new landscaping rules for landowners in “high-hazard” fire zones on Aug. 19. The new “Zone Zero” rules ban plants within one foot of homes and wooden sheds and combustible materials within five feet, the zone where experts say homes are most vulnerable to ignition from embers.
The new rules do not require residents to remove trees, but do ask landowners to trim tree branches back at least 10 feet from chimneys and 5 feet above roofs. The rules also forbid wooden fences attached to houses, Jocelyn Fiset reports for KTLA 5.
Residents will have five years to comply with the new policy. New construction must abide by the rules immediately.
Some landowners are concerned about the cost of tearing down their wooden fences, but others are optimistic that the new rules will help prevent fires, reports KTLA 5.
Read the full story: Strict new landscaping rules will impact millions of Californians in fire-prone areas
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